The Bridgestone Invitational, played at Firestone Country Club in Akron, has been a WGC event since 2006.

When the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship tees off in July 2019 at Akron's Firestone Country Club, the tournament will have another backer in Westfield, which will serve as a sponsorship partner through 2022.

The tournament made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday, Aug. 1, a day before the final of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational tees off at Firestone, welcoming some of the world's top golfers. The PGA Tour announced in April that the WGC event will move to Memphis, Tenn., next summer and the Senior Players Championship would replace the event at Firestone.

Bridgestone in April signed on to be the Senior Players Championship title sponsor through 2022. Terms of the Westfield sponsorship deal weren't disclosed.

Sue Walton

Brooks Koepka, who has won the last two U.S. Opens, attends the Michelob Ultra Tee Off event Wednesday, Aug. 1, at Firestone Country Club in Akron.

Along with announcing a new sponsorship partner in the tournament, officials — who included Bridgestone Invitational executive director Don Padgett, PGA Tour Champions president Greg McLaughlin and Westfield President and CEO Ed Largent — revealed that the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank will be the charity recipient of the tournament.

"Community support is an integral part of a tournament's success, so to see such a prominent company in Northeast Ohio sign on to partner with the Bridgestone Senior Players is a remarkable beginning to a new chapter in golf for Akron," Padgett said in a news release. "PGA Tour Champions is thrilled to continue the 65-year legacy of professional golf at Firestone Country Club, and the ability to do so is thanks to partners like Westfield."

Largent said in a statement, "We are thrilled to support the greater Akron community in a new capacity for years to come. It's a commitment that supports our vision as a caring company and we are proud to lend our ongoing support to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank."

The 2017 Bridgestone Invitational raised more than $1 million for Northeast Ohio charities.

Though, as Crain's reported in April, Senior Tour events are widely seen as a step down in stature from WGC events. In terms of purse, the 2017 Senior Players Championship had a $2.8 million purse and $420,000 went to the winner. The purse for last year's Bridgestone was $9.75 million, with winner Hideki Matsuyama getting $1.66 million.

Padgett in April, though, told Crain's he expects the region to continue to support pro golf in the Rubber City.

"The attendance has always been strong," he said in April. "I expect it to be strong for this year's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and to continue that tradition with the Senior Players as well."

Meanwhile, the Bridgestone Invitational was in full swing Wednesday, Aug. 1, with players hitting the South Course for practice rounds as the fans flocked to watch them, and the hospitality and sponsor tents were hopping.

At the Michelob Ultra Tee Off event Wednesday night, about 300 contest winners and other invited guests grabbed some beers and munchies while awaiting a "surprise guest." That turned out to be Brooks Koepka, who won the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Opens and sits at No. 4 in the World Golf Rankings going into the Bridgestone. Koepka — who, no surprise, is sponsored by Michelob Ultra — faced off against a fan in a fun putting match and then posed for photos with attendees.

The 2019 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship will be held the week of July 8-14 on Firestone's South Course. The week will include two pro-ams, with one set for Firestone's South Course and the other, the Legends Pro-Am that features PGA Tour Champions players ages 60 and older, at Westfield Country Club in Westfield Center.